get by
Britishverb
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to pass; go past or overtake
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informal (intr, adverb) to manage, esp in spite of difficulties
I can get by with little money
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(intr) to be accepted or permitted
that book will never get by the authorities
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Move past, as in There isn't room for this car to get by .
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Manage to succeed or get along; also, barely succeed. For example, He's getting by even though he only works half-time , or If he applied himself, Paul could be getting A's, but instead he's just getting by . [Early 1900s]
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Be unnoticed; also, get approval or pass inspection. For example, I wonder if these errors will get by the proofreader , or He hoped the paint job would get by . [Early 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We live in a generation where it's very easy to be alone and you could get by being alone, but humans crave nurturing," Usman said.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
Here, Lebanon's migrant workers, among those hit hardest by the fighting, have stepped up to support others in their community now struggling to get by.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
Vendors at the market are watching their profit margins dwindle and weighing just how much they can raise prices, aware that many of their customers are also struggling to get by.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
Economists call it a K-shaped economy: A big segment of the public is driving U.S. growth, while an even larger share of Americans just try to get by.
From MarketWatch • May 2, 2026
Gorillas get by just fine without learning how to spell.
From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
